1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bracket for clamping a measuring instrument and a stand for supporting a measuring instrument. More specifically, this invention relates to the bracket for clamping the measuring instrument, such as an indicator and a dial gauge, and the stand for supporting the measuring instrument, in which the bracket for clamping the measuring instrument is used.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a stand for supporting a measuring instrument such as an indicator and a dial gauge, an articulated type stand (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,481), mainly used for the indicator, and a straight-pole type stand mainly used for the dial gauge are known.
As shown in FIG. 5, for example, the straight-pole type stand used for the dial gauge is composed of a base 2 having a measuring area 1 on the surface thereof, a cylindrical pole 3 standing up on the base 2, and a bracket 5 which is rotatably and vertically movably fixed to the pole 3 and holds a dial gauge 4 as a measuring instrument at the end thereof.
As shown in FIG. 6, the bracket 5 is, in turn, composed of: a bracket body 6; an attachment portion for the measuring instrument provided on one end of the bracket body 6, that is to say a first clamping portion 7 for clamping a stem 4A of the dial gauge 4 to the bracket 6; and a second clamping portion 8 provided on the other end of the bracket body 6 to clamp the bracket body 6 to the pole 3.
The clamping portions 7 and 8 are respectively composed of supporting holes 9 and 10; slots 11 and 12 extended from each part of the supporting holes 9 and 10 toward the ends of the bracket body 6; and adjusting knobs 15 and 16 for respectively causing two pairs of directly opposite pinch-fingers 13 and 14 between the slots 11 and 12 to be elastically deformed to move toward each other.
In the use, after the height of the bracket 5 is adjusted along the pole 3, the adjusting knob 16 is tightened to fix the bracket 5 to the pole 3. The stem 4A of the dial gauge 4 is inserted into the supporting hole 9 of the first clamping portion 7 of the bracket 5, and the bearing and the height of the dial gauge 4 is adjusted. After that, the adjusting knob 15 is tightened to fix the dial gauge 4 to the bracket 5. In this state, a spindle 4B of the dial gauge 4 is once lifted up, and a work (an object) to be measured is placed on the measuring area 1. After that, the spindle 4B is lowered down to abut the work measured. At this time, the height of the work to be measured is read from the dial gauge 4.
In the designed stand as described above, however, the structures of the first clamping portion 7, fixing the stem 4A of the dial gauge 4 to the bracket 5, and the second clamping portion 8 fixing the bracket 5 to the pole 3 are based on a clamping and fixing method, so that the positioning relation to one another, during the actual process for attaching is difficult to maintain.
More specifically, the aforementioned structure is the clamping method, in which when the stem 4A of the dial gauge 4 or the pole 3 is inserted into the supporting hole 9 or 10 and the adjusting knob 15 or 16, a pair of pinch-fingers 13 or 14, of which the fingers are opposite to each other to place the slot 11 or 12 between the fingers, is elastically deformed to move toward each other, thereby the diameter of the supporting hole 9 or 10 becomes smaller and then the stem 4A of the dial gauge 4 or the pole 3 is clamped. Therefore, while the diameter of the supporting hole 9 or 10 is getting smaller, the positioning relation to one another, namely, the positioning relation between the bracket 5 and the dial gauge 4 or the positioning relation between the pole 3 and the bracket 5, is easily deviated.
In the clamping and fixing method using the slots 11 and 12, the accuracy of the supporting holes 9 and 10, such as a diameter, a square angle and configuration, is not easy to obtain in producing, so that the supporting hole easily has play causing a rattle after the clamping process.
It is a work of the present invention to solve the aforementioned disadvantages and provide a bracket for clamping a measuring instrument and a stand for supporting the measuring instrument at low costs, in which the positions of parts are not deviated in clamping the measuring instrument, and a supporting hole rarely has play causing a rattle after a clamping process.